· 3 min read
Reading Books
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Photo by Road Trip with Raj on Unsplash
Reading is the nourishment that lets you do think in interesting ways. 1
In some sense, you are downloading dense information into your brain fast (a software update).
And it is fun! More fun than many TV shows after a certain point.
Books are of higher quality because they go through a lot of “processes”. Other mediums do not. Draft->Editors->Reviews->Publisher.
Reading is also an antidote to shortened attention span.
If you can really read, then you can read way faster than you can listen or watch.
Habit
Keeping distractions away while reading helps.
To start, read anything. Even a page better than no page.
Reading slowly is okay. You may finish the book in 3 months. Not a big deal.
Medium
Reading on a phone 2 is great if you can manage to keep distraction beyond.
Reading physical books is ideal. 3
You can listen to an audiobook as a last resort but it likely won’t be fulfilling and you won’t remember details. 1
New words
If you don’t know a word in the book, learn it right there and there. If you don’t you are just approximating what the author says.
If you are going to read a series of 📚 then learn each new word. The same word will be used later.
Selecting books to read
Reading from different categories is an easy way to broaden your perspective.
Always be reading at least 2 books, fiction, and non-fiction.
- Non-fiction: Makes you more informed and puts things into action.
- Fiction: Makes you less boring and counteracts the overthinking created by non-fiction.
Don’t buy non-fiction books that have just been released. Let the reviews come in.
If the right book is selected, it is worth paying the price.
Reading foundational books like History of something or mathematics rather than diving into the latest trends allows you to broaden your understanding and remember faster 31.
Speed Reading
Reading speed increases naturally as you get into a habit of reading regularly.
Your reading speed is higher when you read a topic you are familiar with. It is slower when you read something new.
Therefore if you are speed reading, it is probably not worth reading that book. 1
There is nothing wrong with reading slow. Big abstract concepts require time 3.
Reasoning
Don’t agree with everything you read. Authors are humans too. 4
Put yourself in the shoes of the author and try to reason through his conclusions.
You want to internalize the author’s thinking/mindset so that you can see the problem from his point of view. 1
Reading books that provide a counter-argument to your thought or to a book you have read is also interesting.
If you don’t understand a certain section or a concept, google/youtube it and clear it.
Memorize
Book notes make it easy to non-only reason but to memorize the gist of the book.
- Don’t copy-paste. Write in your own words. It should be your thoughts.
The narrative makes it easy to remember. Some non-fiction books have a narrative too.
You can choose to read fiction instead of non-fiction for the same topic.
Get interested in big picture first. Get interested about the author. You’ll be interested about the book.